The present invention relates generally to the field of customized services, and more specifically to the problems of creating, testing, validating, and provisioning customized telecommunication services.
The incorporated patent applications describe a system and method for creating and executing customized telecommunication services tailored to subscribers' or customers' needs. The system of the set of incorporated patent applications includes a service creation environment for creating customized telephone services and a service execution environment for executing the telephone services. The service creation environment includes a graphical user interface which permits a user to build and/or change a displayed graphical representation of a desired service using "nodes," "decision boxes," and "branches." Each node represents a high level instruction for the execution of the service. The displayed graphical representation of the service is translated to a binary representation and stored as a call processing record (CPR). CPRs are transmitted from a creation environment to an execution environment where they are executed during call processing operations to send call processing instructions to inquiring switches.
The system and method for creating and executing customized telephone services described in the set of incorporated patent applications are described as being implemented in the Advanced Intelligent Telephone Network (AIN).
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary AIN comprising System Service Points (SSPs) 30, 35, 40, and 45, Signal Transfer Points (STPs) 48 and 50, Service Control Points (SCPs) 10 and 20, and Service Management Systems (SMS) 60 (only one shown). SSPs are central office switching systems which receive telephone calls from telephones 12. Each SSP recognizes a variety of "triggers" within customer telephone call signals and generates queries to SCPs based on the triggers. The SSPs then process customer calls in response to commands received from the SCPs.
The SCPs communicate with the SSPs over a common-channel-signalling (CCS) network 67 that includes STPs 48 and 50. The CCS network 67 employs communication channels separate from channels used to transport customer voice signals and includes a packet-switching system. The CCS network 67 switches data in packets instead of allocating circuits for the duration of a call. The STPs 48 and 50 provide the packet-switching functions.
Each SCP is fault tolerant because each SCP includes processors connected through dual local-area networks (not shown). If one processor of an SCP fails, another processor of the SCP can ensure that the SCP continues to function. Further, SCPs are configured as a mutually mated pair in different locations. If an SCP, such as SCP 10, is disabled, its mate, SCP 20, can ensure that telephone service continues without interruption.
Associated with each SCP or each pair of SCPs is an SMS 60. An SMS 60 provides a support interface through which customer data and service logic can be added or managed.
The incorporated patent applications also disclose techniques for testing and validating CPRs that have been created at a creation environment. Testing of a CPR provides a visual indication on a displayed graphical representation (graph) of the CPR of the execution path taken through the CPR during a call processing operation. The visual indication is described in one embodiment as a red line trace of the paths connecting the nodes of a displayed graph. Validating a CPR involves detecting logical infractions in the processing routine of the CPR and identifying these infractions to an operator based on a set of rules and a knowledge base understood by an expert system.
As discussed, the incorporated patent applications describe a system and method for graphically creating CPRs using a plurality of nodes. A service creator is free to use any available nodes to create any desired service. The flexibility in service creation offered by the system of the incorporated patent applications is very beneficial to service creators, particularly those creating a service for the first time or those having individual needs.
Many customers may want the same service, or they may want services with only minor differences. For example, an operating company may determine that most of its customers desire a service that permits them to specify the carrier for their long distance calls. This service would be similar for each customer, and each customer's graph for this service would be almost identical. It may be impractical or costly for the service creator to generate essentially the same CPR numerous times, once for each customer, particularly when only slight differences need exist in the CPRs. In the example of the long distance carrier, it would be beneficial to the operating company to be able to create a long distance carrier service only once and make only minor changes to it to accommodate each customer. In addition, this allows for consistent service deployment within an operating company.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide for the creation of a service template that specifies most of a desired service, but permits some tailoring to meet the needs of individual customers.
It is also desirable to permit an operator to create a service CPR template that is readily adaptable for any number of customers.
It is further desirable to provide a service CPR template having predetermined "customizable" expressions for nodes, branches, and call variables, wherein the expressions are presented in a uniform manner.
Additional desires of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.